


The Storm

by monkeystypinghamlet



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-29
Updated: 2014-10-29
Packaged: 2018-02-23 02:47:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2531267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeystypinghamlet/pseuds/monkeystypinghamlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben gets stuck at the Dukes’ during a big storm so the easiest solution is for him to spend the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> There was an unbelievably insane thunderstorm in my city early on Monday morning, so I wrote this while the thunder kept me awake. There's not much of a plot, really. Sorry. It's just lovely fluff.
> 
> x

**4:31pm**

The rain started just as Ben was about to leave.

There’d been no sign of it all day. In fact, they’d eaten lunch outside earlier and it was fine. The sun had been shining and everything.

But just as Bea had watched Ben gather his stuff (“Where’s my physics book?” “We didn’t even do physics today. Surely it’s still in your bag, dumbass.” “What would I do without you?”) it had started gushing down from the sky like the apocalypse was coming.

“Holy shit,” Bea said, running to the window. “When did that happen?” The rain was pelting down like crazy, drenching everything in sight.

“That’s insane,” Ben said, coming up behind her. They heard the front door slam.

“Fucking hell!” Leo cursed from the hallway. He walked into the living room, everything from his hair to his running shorts completely soaked.

“What’s going on?” Hero asked, coming into the room. She saw Leo and burst out laughing. “What happened to you?”

“Look outside!” Bea said, struggling the compete with all the noise from the heavy rain.

“Oh my God!” Hero said. “I’ll go get you a towel, Leo. Please don’t drip water over the whole house.”

“Thanks,” Leo said, taking a seat at the dining table. “And to think I was just trying to go for a run.”

“Mind if I stay for another hour or so until this clears?” Ben asked.

“Of course not, stay,” Hero said immediately.

“Only if I’m wanted,” Ben said. “Beatrice?” Bea folded her arms and glared at him.

“I’d like to see how you fare out in that weather,” she challenged.

“Bea, stop being stubborn. You don’t want him struck by lighning, do you?” Hero asked.

“Fine,” Bea relented. “Stay.”

 

**5:34pm**

An hour later, it was still going.

“Bea, come look at this,” Hero said, pointing to the weather radar on her laptop screen. The entire map of Auckland was covered in a red-orange cloud. “I’ve never seen it like this before.”

“Crazy,” Bea muttered. “So I guess getting takeaway is out of the question?” Hero laughed.

“Unless you volunteer to go get it.”

“Shame,” Bea sighed. “I really feel like Chinese.”

“My mum just rang,” Ben said, coming back into the room. “She was visiting my grandma when it started so she's staying there for the night.”

“So you don't have a way to get home?” Bea asked.

“Not really.”

“You're welcome to stay here with us,” Bea said. “If you want.”

“For the night?” Ben asked and Bea blushed.

“Leo?” Hero called.

“Yeah?” Leo came in. They explained Ben’s situation.

“Sure, should be fine, if you’re alright with sleeping on the couch,” Leo said.

“No problem,” Ben said. “I’m tough.” Bea snorted and then tried to cover it up with a cough.

“I’ll go get you a blanket,” she said.

 

**7:03pm**

The rain died down to a dull roar by dinner time.

“Ben, at least try to make yourself useful and peel the potatoes properly,” Bea said.

“It’s not my fault your peeler is weird!” Ben protested. “I can actually cook, I swear.” Bea and Hero just laughed as he fought a losing battle with the simple contraption.

“Maybe you’d like something easier,’ Hero joked. “Can you turn on the oven for me?”

 

**8:21pm**

After dinner, Bea settled in next to Ben on the couch to watch whatever they could find on the TV.

“Seriously? This shitty soap opera?” she asked.

“There’s nothing else,” Ben explained.

“God. That’s grim. Not even the news or something?”

“Nope. And I reckon I can only take maybe another five minutes of this mushy melodrama, it’s killing me. Ten, tops.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Sure, I reckon you’d crack first.”

“You’re on.”

They ended up watching the entire episode and the following one after that.

“Okay, I reckon Olivia is totally sleeping with Sebastian–”

“No no no, I think Olivia’s going to end up with Duke–”

“In what universe, Beatrice? Get your facts right. Olivia and Sebastian. I ship it.”

“Yuck. Ew. I hope they all split up and go into comas from car accidents and find out they’ve got long lost brothers.”

“You should write this show.”

“They wish. I would never sink that low.”

 

**11:45pm**

Bea and Ben talked away to the harmony of the rain as the hours passed.

“Hero’s looking better today,” Ben said.

“You think?” Bea asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Calmer. I think it’s the rain. It’s cleansing for her soul.”

“You did not just say that!” Bea laughed.

When she eventually had to go to bed, she lay awake thinking about Ben downstairs all by himself. She wondered if he was awake, too.

 

**2:09am**

The thunder woke up Bea immediately. There was no peaceful rain anymore, only crackling thunder. She wasn’t particularly afraid of thunderstorms but oh my god the thunder sounded like it was going to burst through the roof. Shit! She jumped every time the thunder shook the house. It was the dead of the night but the lighting lit up her room every few seconds. I am not scared by a little thunder, she told herself. I’m perfectly safe indoors. _CRACK_. Shit oh shit fuck that was a big one wow oh wow Bea leapt out of bed and sat on top of the covers, trying to get her breath back. The monstrous thunder cracked a second time and she jumped again. She heard footsteps and the door to her room flung open. Ben was standing in the doorway, looking as terrified as she felt. Bea couldn’t even speak so she just held out her arms, hoping he would understand. He did. He came straight over to her and held her as they both got their breath back.

“I’ve never been so scared of thunder,” Bea whispered.

“Me neither,” Ben said. “This isn’t ordinary thunder. Someone must’ve really pissed Zeus off.” Bea laughed. She liked the feeling of Ben’s arms around her. He was holding on really, really tight like he was afraid the thunder was going to take her away. _CRACK_. It struck again and Bea instinctively grabbed Ben’s hand and squeezed it as hard as she could.

“Fuck, that was a big one.” She looked down at her hand around his. “God, sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” Ben said. “Hold onto me for dear life.”

“I’m really glad you’re here,” Bea said.

“So am I,” Ben said, giving that little smile of his. He planted a little kiss her on the forehead and for once the jolt that went down her spine had absolutely nothing to do with the lightning. The night went on and they stayed there together. The storm passed, but the sparks remained.

 


End file.
